Karenna Gore To Receive Environmental Leadership Award At Smith Nature Symposium

RIVERWOODS, IL — Brushwood Center will honor author, environmentalist and climate activist Karenna Gore at its 43rd annual Smith Nature Symposium Awards Dinner on Oct. 10 at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Gore will receive the 2026 Environmental Leadership Award for her work at the intersection of climate, ethics and ecology.

She is the founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics and a teaching professor of practice of earth ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Gore is also an adjunct faculty member at the Columbia Climate School and author of the forthcoming book, "The Circle and the Sphere."

"In this moment, support for our communities, the natural world, and the relationships between them, is more important than ever," Gore said. "I am thrilled to join Brushwood Center at the 2026 Smith Nature Symposium and to advocate for the wellbeing of people and the planet."

New Award To Honor Kurtis, LaPietra

The symposium will also include the presentation of the inaugural Angelica Sturm Luminary Award, created to recognize people who demonstrate a commitment to community health, the arts and nature.

The award is named for Brushwood Board Chair Angelica "Gail" Sturm, recognizing her 12 years of leadership with the organization.

Journalist Bill Kurtis and philanthropist Donna LaPietra will be the first recipients. Both are longtime supporters and advisers to Brushwood Center.

"Nature and the arts have brought so much joy into our lives, and are a major pillar of our philanthropy," LaPietra said. "As longstanding supporters and advisors to Brushwood Center, we are honored to receive the first Angelica Sturm Luminary Award."

Brushwood first presented its Environmental Leadership Award in 1984 to naturalist and artist Roger Tory Peterson. Recent recipients have included Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mona Hanna, Baratunde Thurston, Winona LaDuke and the late Robert Redford and Sibylle Szaggars Redford.

Companion Exhibition In Riverwoods

The Smith Nature Symposium also includes a companion exhibition at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 N. Riverwoods Road.

"Enriching Life Retrospective" is a farewell exhibition for the Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy and will remain on display through Oct. 19.

Kim, whose academy has been based at Brushwood for more than a decade, plans to move away later this year. The exhibition features work by Kim and other Botanical Art Academy artists and is free during Brushwood Center’s regular hours.

Brushwood Center works with community groups, artists, health care providers and scientists on programs focused on health equity and access to nature in Lake County and the Chicago region.